DOC and AOD (Admiring Our Differences)-DBlog Week!

I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort where we overlap.
Ani DiFranco

In the DOC, there is always the chance to learn. Sometimes it's what to do. Sometimes, it's what not to do. From every person in the DOC, there is something. And it's never too late to learn.

I thought about all of you out there and here is what I have learned, from each of you:

From Kelly, humor, laughter, friendship and bitch-switch flipping when the time is necessary.
From Kerri, that mommyhood is possible and my own little '6-until-me' can grow up strong and healthy.
From Meri, that we are strong, strong mothers and that if she can do it, so can I.
From Reyna, laughter about the situations D places us in, and same-same.
From Joanne, that mommyhood, with T1 along for the ride, is a journey we can all relate to.

From Hallie, that every day is sacred.
From Leighann, that information is a great thing in the DOC.
From Bennet, that each of us has our own story to tell and yes, your diabetes may vary.
From Laura, strength to carry on and the courage to reach out for help when I need it.
From Lexi, a sense of my bad-ass D-Mama self and that we as a group, truly do rock.

From Lee Ann, honesty, reflection and of course, art as a means of expression on this journey.
From Lorraine, that food is important, that change is ok and our kids can do this.
From Pam, that grace is something else :0) and connections hold us together.
From Scott, that PWDs always have something to teach us.
From Betty, that 52 years with the D is something I want my daughter to say one day.

From Jen, that pictures about D are worth a thousand words
From Wendy, the life of a child, of all our children, is priceless and gluten free can be done well.
From Jules, that thousand of miles of distance does not disconnect us from other D-Mamas.
From George, that struggles can be overcome and there is a little ninjabetic inside all of us.
From Karen, that blogs are places of support for us all.

From Nicole, that there is so much still to be done looking for a cure for our children.
From Lora, that we indeed kick-arse as DMamas.
From Donna, that our kids are kids, foremost and they take T1 along for the ride.

From Wil, honesty is helpful and curse words are sometimes the best expressions.
From Tracy, that princesses do indeed have T1.
From Haley, that my gal will be a teen one day and I can only hope she's this cool.
From Heather, that at the drop of a hat, it can all change again, and that the DOC will be there for you when it does.

We each approach parenting a child with diabetes from a different angle. We listen to the PWDs in our lives, who have so much to tell us about having been a child with T1. We each love our children fiercely. We each, at the drop of a hat, will rush to support each other. We each have diabetes in our lives and are living strong with it, rolling through the struggles and enjoying the triumphs.

I feel strongly that I need to say it on this blog -  We push each other to be our best. We support each other to rise up again tomorrow and do it all over again. We encourage, we provide shoulders to learn on, we praise and we listen. That's what this DOC means to me. We have chosen not to be a forum of parents who condescend, judge and admonish. We all belong here. We all fit in. We are hard enough on ourselves. This DOC, these gals and guys who I choose to listen to, and share this journey with, are exactly that. I refuse to be caught up in more waves of guilt, more waves of 'I'm not doing it right!' and more waves of us-against-them.
I refuse to.

Thank you, each of you, for being you.

I admire our differences.

If I left you out and I truly follow your blog, my apologies... I'll be adding those I might have forgotten to the end of each blog post this week.